Labour defeats zero hour contracts

Changes demanded by Labour to new workplace legislation have today resulted in the banning of zero hour contracts, Opposition Leader Andrew Little says.

“National was forced to seek Labour’s support after United Future and the Maori Party echoed our concern that the Employment Standards Legislation Bill in its original form would entrench, not stop the exploitative practise of zero hour contracts.

“An amendment put up by Labour today will stop employers demanding workers be available for work without an agreement giving them guaranteed hours.

“This will be welcome news for those workers who have been forced to sit by the phone and sometimes left with no work to show for it.

“Employers, including Business New Zealand, have told Parliament there is no need for zero hour contracts.

“Our Workplace Relations spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway and the unions have worked tirelessly to highlight these exploitative contracts and push the Government to end them.

“Today is a great day for all workers and the 56,500 New Zealanders who joined our campaign to scrap zero hour contracts,” Andrew Little says.